Apparatus for maintaining vacuum in oil wells or the like



M F. REED Filed July 29, 1932 INVENTOR ATTORNEY a i/ i wll i Aug. 22, 1933.

APPARATUS FOR MAINTAINING VACUUM IN OIL WELLS OR THE LIKE Patented Aug. 22, 1933 UNITED STATES APPARATUS FOR MAINTAINING VAC- UUM IN OIL WELLS OR THE LIKE M Frankness Reed, Stephensville, Tex.

Application July 29, 1932. Serial No. 625,794

6 Claims.

vention relates to oil well equipment cularly to a vacuum maintainer for s adapted to use in connection with a swab and its principal object is to provide a device capable of maintaining a vacuum in an oil well to decrease the cost ordinarily incident to swabbing operations and reduce the amount of lift ordinarily made necessary by the use of common swabs.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision. of a combinationof elements capable of placement in an oil well at various depths whereby the oil may be drawn from the earth without the constant use of swabs and thereby ng it possible to increase the production of .in wells with attendant reduction in the ordinarily incident to such increased production due to the long lift so often required. Still another object of the invention resides 5,0 in the provision of a simple, inexpensive mechanism which capable of operation from the surface oi the well yet may be placed at any desired point in the casing along the entire depth of the same to provide an impregnable seal to prevent the passage of air into the casing below the point of seal thereby creating a vacuum and a constant pull on the oil sands adjacent to the bottom of an oil well to draw therefrom such oil as may be deposited therein.

Broadly the invention comprehends the provision of a mechanism which by its use, will reduce to a minimum the operations commonly required to produce oil from wells wherein it is difficult to draw the oil from the sands thus obtaining production from wells thought to be non-producers, yet with such little expense as to make them pay even through such production is greatly minimized. 7

While the foregoing objects are paramount other and lesser objects will become manifest as the description preceeds taken in connection with the appended drawing wherein:

Figural is a vertical cross section of a fragmerit of an oil well casing showing the invention therein.

Figure 2 is an enlarged cross sectional view.

ering of the swab to a great depth into an oil well before, upon bringing it to the surface, a proper vacuum can be provided below it to produce sufficient suction to draw petroleum from the earth. This is especially true where, due to certain earth formations, the oil does not of its own accord seep through the sands into the hole.

The purpose therefore, of this invention is to eliminate, as much as possible, the necessity for the use of the swab in creating a suflicient vacuum to produce these results. p Proceeding with the description attention is again directed to the drawing and to the numerical character 1, which represents an oil well easing into which is inserted a bucket 2, which latter has a tube 3 therein, the purpose of which will be later described. e

The bucket 2 is threaded at its lower end into a sleeve 4, which latter is also threaded upon a casting 5 which forms a weighted bottom for said bucket 2 and which although substantially cylindrical in shape, has a conical lower portion and a passage through its center through which the tube 3 is passed as shown in Figure 1.

A valve assembly is provided within the bucket 2 andis threaded upon the upper end of the tube 3. The valve assembly comprises a cap 6 of wood, or similar material, and has a seat '1 of fiber, or the like, as shown in Figure 1. The said cap 6 is operated by rods 8 which latter are arranged vertically on either side of the tube 3 and held upright for free vertical movement within the ears of a collar 9. These ears provide guides for the rods 8 as shown in'Figure 1.

When the valve assembly is closed, as appar ent in Figure 1, the seat 7 rests upon the upper end of a sleeve 10 which is threaded, at its lower end, upon the tube 3, and has lugs llthrough which are apertures which latter also guide the vertical movement of the rods. 8.

The valve is provided with a stemv 12 which passes through a stationary spider 13 mounted in the sleeve 10 and acts as a guide to the valve seat 7 and to prevent its displacement.

As shown in Figure. 2, a coil spring 14 is pro vided which is arranged upon the lower end of 1 09 the stem 12, bearing against awasher 15 beneath the spider 13 and a second washer 16' held upon the lower end of the stem 12 by means or nuts 17. This arrangement obviously provides for a variable tension uponfthe valve seatfl 5. since, by reason of the nuts 17, the tension may be increased or lessened as desired.

Referring now to Figures 1 and 5, attention is directed to the member 18 which has a neck portion at its base into which is threaded a perforated intake pipe 19, shown in Figure 1, and

the tube 3 which latter extends upward through the casting 5, previously referred to, and into the bucket 2.

The member 18 is provided with an annular upturned flange forming a groove around itsouter..periphery.to receive the lower rim of a cylindrical packer 20, of rubber or-similar material, being substantially funnel shaped within the top portion to admit the casting 5 "which is conical in shape at its lower end as shown in Figure 1. The casting 5, due to its weight and its conical shape, will spread =.the upper .portion of the packer 20 to frictionally'eng'age'the walls of the casing 1 to create a seal and prevent the passage of air into the lower portion of the said casing 1. The packer 20 isafli-xed to themember 18 by means of bolts or rivets 21.

Accordingly, in operation, the assembly is lowered-intothe casing 1 by a cable or chain attached to-thesbail 22 of the bucket 12. The extended flanges of the packer 20 frictionally engage thesides of the casing thereby holding the-assembly suspended within the latter as indicated-in Figural, and, with this accomplished, a, swab -(=not.shown) is lowered into the casing above v.the invention and operated to draw a vacuumin thesaid casing .1 through the tube 3 and valve assembly .at the top of the latter. .The periorated tubing 19 is adapted to rest upon thebottom of the well and the assembly operates in the. shoejoint of the casing. 1.

'It riswobvious-that, when .the swab is drawn upward, the suction will draw the oilfrom the bottom of the wellthroug'hthe tube 3 .andvalve assemblnand as scones the suctionor vacuum is,rel'eased'.beneath .theswab, the valved will close .itself by reason of the spring 1.4 and thereby-create .asuction or vacuum beneath the invention .wherebyrthe .oil is constantly drawn enter the tube .3 thereby. releasing any vacuum which -might remain therein after the seal is broken .around the extended .fianges of the paakerl20.

-Though the invention has .been described with 7 great particularity, it is understood that it is not intended thatthe sameshall be'limited to thespecific arrangement and construction of parts and .thatmodifications may beresorted to from time to ltimelas may 'fall withinithe scope andmeaning of rtheappended claims' .-1.. A:dev'ice for maintaining -a vacuum'in an oil well including va bailed bucket having a weighted conicalbo'ttom, atubetherein, a valve assembly mounted upon theupper end of said tube, a Iilexible cylindrical ,packer secured adjacent to "the ilowerportion of the 'said bucket capable of expansion by the said conical bottom to assume a substantially funnel shape thereby to afford a seal within an oil well casing and means to withdraw the said conical bottom to cause the contraction of the said packer to break the said seal.

2. In a device for maintaining a vacuum in an oil well including a bailed tubular element having a substantially conical shaped weighted bottom, a second tubular element extending through the said first named tubular element, a valve assembly threaded upon the upper end ofsaid second tubular element, a flexible packer member secured adjacent the bottom of the first named tubular element capable of receiving the said conical bottom to expand the said packer unemberto'frictionally engage the walls of an .oil well casing to afford a seal therearound and means to operate the said valve assembly.

3. Apparatus for .maintaining a vacuum in an oil well casing comprising a bailed bucket memberhaving a substantially conically shaped apertured base, a tube within said bucket member and arranged through said apertured base having a valve assembly thereon, a flexible packer arrangednear the bottom of said bucket member capable of receiving the said conical base and expanding to frictionally engage the walls of an oil well casing and means to actuate said valve assembly.

4. 'A device for maintaining a vacuum within an 'oil well casing comprising a bailed outer casing having an apertured base, a tubular member withinsaid bailed casing capable of free movement through said apertured base having a valve assembly mounted thereon, an expansible packer member arranged upon said tubular element and capable of receiving the lower portion of the said apertured base to cause the said expansible packerito frictionally engage the 'walls ofsaid oilwell casing and to aflord aseal andmeans to operate said valve assembly.

5. 'An apparatus for maintaining a vacuum within an oil well casing comprising a bailed cylindrical member having a substantially conically shaped apertured base, a tubular member arranged within said bailed cylindrical member and said base and capable of vertical movement therein, a valve assembly mounted upon said tubular member, an expansible packer secured "to'thesaid tubular member adjacent the said base and capable of receiving thc latter to expand the said packer so that the latter will frictionally engage the walls of said oil well casing to-createa seal therearound and means to break thesaid'seal.

6. In a device for maintaining a vacuum in an oil well casing including a bailed bucket member-having a conical'base, a tubular member'w'ithin said bucket member having a valve assembly mountedthereon, an expansible packer arranged'upon the said tubular member adjacent thesai'd base to receive the latter to expand the said packer member to a substantially funnel'shape-so that the latter will frictionally engage the walls of said oil well casing to afiord a seal and to maintain a vacuum thereunder and means to release said vacuum.

M FRANKNESS REED.

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